After participating in the Legends Roundtable, LaVell Edwards answered questions about BYU going independent and what it would take to coach a team during independence.

What did you think when you heard BYU would become a football independent?

"I was surprised by the announcement. I've always been in a conference and I've liked that. I was never privy to any discussion about independence and didn't expect to be, so I was very surprised by the announcement last fall."

How do you motivate a team without the promise of a conference season and the potential for a conference championship?

"It's a whole new ball game. Bronco is a very sharp young man and is a very good football coach. He will figure out ways to keep his kids motivated and keep them going in the right direction. Things can get real tough if you get off to a slow start and you aren't playing for a conference championship."

BYU has experienced some difficulty in find opponents in late October and November. Will that get easier as time goes on?

"ESPN will make it easier to get big games late in the schedule but team's that have to worry about winning their league championship will probably not want to play BYU as a non-conference opponent late in the season."

Will independence provide an easier path to national prominence for the Cougars?

"I've wondered about that myself. I think ESPN will help because it will give the program more exposure than they've had in the past. If you're a non-BCS school than you can't afford to lose any games, so it makes it very tough if the goal is a national championship. That makes every game right from the start even more important. We will just have to wait and see how it works out."

Would you have embraced independence while you were coaching?

"I really don't know. It never came up while I was here and I was surprised when I heard it was a possibility even now."

During the BYU Football Media Day afternoon breakout session, senior basketball guard Haley Hall Steed, who got married in May, shared her excitement toward joining the West Coast Conference with BYU Athletic Communications.

“It’s exciting,” Steed said. “We’re excited to see some new teams and faces. The travel is going to be awesome. It will be nice to travel to California and the west coast during the winter.”

This year marks a perfect year to join the WCC in Steed’s eyes because the team is already faces changes to its program.

“We have a young team so it’s a good time for us to make a transition because we graduated a lot of seniors,” Steed said. “There are a lot of changes taking place. Why not a new conference?”

Steed, who was named Third Team All-MWC last season, will miss playing in the Mountain West Conference but is looking forward to new rivalries in the WCC.

“There are fun places to play in the Mountain West because they fill up their arenas and have good fans,” Steed said. “I’ll miss the environment there. I’ve been part of the Mountain West for five years now. The rivalries were fun but it’ll be fun to have change and form new rivalries.”

Specially, Steed is looking forward to the rivalry she’s sure will develop between BYU and Gonzaga.

“The basketball powerhouse Gonzaga is going to be the rivalry for us,” Steed said. “It’ll be the big game of the year. They have a really good program and do really well every year. Over the last while they’ve dominated the West Coast Conference so that’s the team we’re excited to go in and play every year.”

Steed was granted a sixth year due to medical hardship and therefore, will return to Marriot Center for the 2011-12 season for her final year as a member of the BYU women's basketball team.

“I love this team,” Steed said. “I couldn’t leave them. I still have a passion for the game. Once you’re done playing college you’re done forever and you never play at that level again. I still have some fire left in me. They can’t get rid of me just yet. I’ve been here forever but I’m ready for one more year.”

Former BYU and current St. Louis Rams linebacker Bryan Kehl sat down with the BYU Athletic Communications staff to discuss the state of the BYU football program and the current NFL Lockout. Kehl, who last played for the Cougars in 2007, believes the BYU program is in good hands with Bronco Mendenhall at the helm.

"Bronco is a one of a kind guy," Kehl said. "I have said this many times in many different circumstances and my opinion hasn't changed: Bronco is the best football coach I have ever been around. He is just an all around great coach and we are just lucky he chose to coach football. I think he could have been an excellent coach in any sport because of the way he leads men. He is not a guy that loves being the center of attention but he loves coaching young men to success. As long as he continues to coach I know he will be successful."

Kehl also believes independence will help the BYU football program, although it is not the most important aspect of the upcoming season.

"There is one common denominator when it comes to being a successful football program is winning football games," Kehl said. "It really doesn't matter what conference affiliation the team is a part of. If you win 10 games, it was probably a successful season. If you win four games, it probably didn't go so great. If BYU is able to win games they will benefit from this exposure and will be able to create a new fan base. It could be great for the school and hte football program."

Currently a member of the St. Louis Rams, Kehl is awaiting an agreement between the NFL owners and the NFL Players Association.

"Life is good right now, I'm happy to be in Utah and I hope they get a deal done soon so we don't miss any regular season games," Kehl said. "It won't break my heart to miss some mini camp or training camp because I have been working hard. I could play football tomorrow if I needed to. NFL training camp really isn't fun, you can ask anyone that has been a part of it. But NFL games are fun, so I don't want to miss any of those."

In terms of the issues that are preventing the NFL from reaching an agreement, Kehl agrees with both sides on some topics.

"I agree with the owners in terms of the rookie wage scale," Kehl said. "Sam Bradford doesn't deserve $78 million dollars. He is a great player, I played with him, he won Rookie of the Year and he is an awesome guy, but that is Peyton Manning money and he just isn't Peyton Manning. They need to fix the first round of the draft and model is after the NBA with a slotted system. Other than rookies, however, I think we are all compensated fairly. The average NFL career is only three years so we have to make the most out of our time. Some fans think its billionaires vs. millionaires in this lockout, but that is not the case. I have been in the league three years and I am no millionaire. The guys that make up the core of the special teams units have to do some tough jobs and it hurts now and will probably hurt worse 10-20 years from now. I take my life in my hands every time I run down the field on a kickoff and its scary. So I think players, aside from the first round rookies, should continue to be compensated in the same way we have been."

The lone Heisman Trophy winner in BYU history took a minute to sit and talk with BYU Athletic Communications about the changes that BYU will experience with its newfound independence and the possibility of becoming a member of the Cougar staff someday.

Detmer believes the exposure on ESPN will allow BYU to reach more recruits across the nation, much in the same way the Cougars reached him via national exposure while he was a high school quarterback.

"I think BYU has missed out on a lot of recruits, including LDS recruits, to schools like Notre Dame and Stanford because they have so much more exposure on the national landscape. Now I think we will be able to get some of those kids and attract more non-LDS kids because they will get a chance to see this team on national TV like I did in high school. I had the chance to see BYU play for the National Championship and in a few other games. I didn't know anything about the school, Utah or the LDS Church, but I knew they threw the ball, and knew that would be perfect for me. Seeing BYU on TV made a huge difference for me during my recruitment and I am sure it will make a difference for other kids as well."

Detmer is currently the head football coach at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Austin, Texas. When asked if he would ever consider returning to the BYU sideline as a member of the Cougar staff, Detmer admitted it could be possible if the situation presented itself.

"BYU is very close to my heart," Detmer said. "If they came to me and said 'we want you' or 'we need you' then I would entertain the offer. It would have to come in the right situation for me and my family. I really like the situation that high school football provides. I have time to come to these types of events, along with some charity golf tournaments and also get to go hunting and run my ranch. But I will say that if I were to come back to BYU it would have to be the right situation and the right job."

While discussing coaching, Detmer also discussed the perception that BYU coaches are often paid less than coaches at other major football programs around the country.

"If we are going to be a competitive program and are planning on staying independent then we are going to have to step up to the table and do what some of the other major colleges do around the country when it comes to coach compensation," Detmer said. "We have a lot of young guys on this BYU staff with a lot of potential and in order to keep them we are going to have to pay them. If we want this BYU team to compete against the top BCS competition then we are going to have to pay like the top BCS competition."